Coys Auction
Ascot Racecourse,
Berkshire SL5 7JX
Saturday 2 October 2010 at 3pm
William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar, was not interested in motor racing as a sport, but motor racing as a marketing tool was a different matter, provided it did not cost too much. That is why all Jaguar competition cars had production components but it is also why they were listed as production cars which could be ordered from, and serviced by, any Jaguar dealer.
Shortly before the 1951 Le Mans race Jaguar unveiled its challenger; its official designation was the XK120C (Competition), but it became known as the C-Type and the name stuck. Under the sleek skin was a 210 bhp engine (even on the poor-quality fuel available) with modified cams, lighter fly-wheel, bigger valves, improved porting, and larger carburettors. The C-Type was designed specifically to win Le Mans and it did so first time out in the hands of Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead.
C-Types were offered in production form at £1,495 plus tax and